Iowa football: A look at which non-senior Hawkeyes may enter this years NFL Draft

IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 23: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions is taken out of bounds during the third quarter by defensive back Amani Hooker #27 and Manny Rugamba #5 of the Iowa Hawkeyes on September 23, 2017 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 23: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions is taken out of bounds during the third quarter by defensive back Amani Hooker #27 and Manny Rugamba #5 of the Iowa Hawkeyes on September 23, 2017 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
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IOWA CITY, IOWA- OCTOBER 07: Defensive back Amani Hooker
IOWA CITY, IOWA- OCTOBER 07: Defensive back Amani Hooker

With just the bowl game remaining, Iowa football fans are anxiously awaiting to find out whether a few key Hawkeyes will return for the 2019 season.

As you likely already know, First Team All-Big Ten tight end Noah Fant has declared for the NFL Draft, but what you may not know is that there are a few others who may be exploring their options at the next level, albeit at a slightly slower pace. That’s what happens when you play for an Iowa football program that consistently churns out NFL-quality tight end due to the fantastic coaches and the hard-working individuals that Kirk Ferentz recruits.

Unlike in previous years whereas not many Hawks are recognized on an individual level, this Iowa football team had quite a few outstanding individual performers. Just take a look at the Big Ten awards. 15 players were named to one of the All-Big Ten teams and three players took home individual awards for the best player at their position this past season.

With the Outback Bowl just a few weeks away, a few Hawkeyes will be turning their attention to the NFL Draft very soon as the deadline to declare for the draft is just over a month away (January 14). This means that a few Hawks have some very big decisions on their plate.

If the Hawks return all of their eligible players, this team has a chance at doing something the 2018 team wishes they could have: win the Big Ten.

Here are the four non-seniors that could by eying a chance to leave sooner rather than later.